• Living inspiration for Jill Barklem’s beloved Crabapple Cottage discovered near Barn Hoppitt
• Family of Brambly Hedge creator confirm historic tree as the source of the iconic illustration
• New Brambly Hedge exhibition on display at the City Corporation’s Epping Forest Visitor Centre at Chingford

The living inspiration for Jill Barklem’s illustration of Crabapple Cottage in the Brambly Hedge books has been discovered in Epping Forest, which is managed by the City of London Corporation as a registered charity.

The distinctive crab apple, believed to be the only known pollarded tree of its species in the Forest, stands near Barn Hoppitt and Warren Pond – an area known to have been a favourite walking and sketching spot of the celebrated illustrator and author, and close to the City Corporation’s Epping Forest Visitor Centre at Chingford.

The tree, thought by Forest experts to be over 300 years old, was *today* visited by Lizzie and Peter Barklem, daughter and son of Jill Barklem, who said the shape, setting and surrounding woodland matched their mother’s original inspiration for the illustration.

The discovery builds on the growing celebration of the book’s connection to Epping Forest and the surrounding landscape. Sculptures of the inhabitants of Crabapple Cottage – Mr and Mrs Apple – can be found near the start of the Brambly Hedge‑themed trail near Butler’s Retreat, which was launched in October 2025.

The trail features 17 carved oak sculptures on an accessible route towards Connaught Water, and provides fans and young families with an interactive way to explore the Forest.   

Each sculpture features the character’s name in braille and a sensory panel on the back. The design also enables wheelchair users and those with limited mobility to move around the sculptures, ensuring the trail can be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities.

Visitors can begin the Trail at the Epping Forest Visitor Centre on Rangers Road where packs including a leaflet, interactive map and themed pencil are available for £3. Young explorers who find all characters can return to the Visitor Centre to collect a special completer’s sticker.

Chair of the City of London Corporation’s Epping Forest and Commons Committee, Caroline Haines, said:

“As custodians of Epping Forest, we are immensely proud that such a cherished part of children’s literary heritage can be traced to a living tree within the Forest. Jill Barklem captured the spirit of this landscape so beautifully, drawing inspiration from the woodland she knew and loved.

“Crab apple trees have long been valued in Epping Forest, historically protected because they helped sustain the deer of these former royal hunting grounds. It feels especially fitting that a crab apple tree should be at the heart of this discovery, giving families and fans a rare chance to step into the real woodland world that inspired Brambly Hedge for generations of readers.”

Jill Barklem's daughter, Lizzie, added: 

“Our mother spent countless hours exploring Epping Forest, sketchbook in hand. Seeing this tree, and the landscape around it, it’s easy to recognise how it found its way into Brambly Hedge. 

"It’s incredibly moving to see that the real-life inspiration is still here, thriving as part of this very special and protected ancient woodland, and it’s testament to the accuracy of her drawings that, nearly 50 years on, we are still able to identify that very tree.”

Epping Forest stretches from Manor Park in the south, through to Epping in the north and attracts over 10 million visitors every year. 

The Forest is of national and international conservation importance, containing two registered historic parks, eight listed buildings and four scheduled ancient monuments. 

It is one of the last remaining examples of ancient wood-pasture in southern England and holds national and international conservation status as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation. 

The City Corporation protects 11,000 acres of green space across London and southeast England. Most of these sites are charitable trusts and run at little or no cost to the communities they serve. 

ENDS

Notes to editors

The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally successful UK – www.cityoflondon.gov.uk.

For more information about the Trail and Epping Forest visit – www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/green-spaces/epping-forest/brambly-hedge-trail and www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/eppingforest.